Sustainability certification schemes
A number of local, national or international certification schemes promote sustainability. Here you can read what criteria Vinmonopolet uses in our assessment of the certifications.
Vinmonopolet labels products that have an element of sustainability, whether on the basis of ethical production or in relation to climate and environment. In collaboration with the other Nordic monopolies in Sweden, Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Island, Vinmonopolet assesses the certifications in our industry annually against a common set of requirements.
These certification schemes are the basis for four of our five sustainability labels as of January 1st 2025.
Learn more aboutOur sustainability labels

Certification | Area | Sustainability labels |
---|---|---|
Organic farming (EU) | International | Organic |
Organic farming (outside EU) (pdf) | International | Organic |
Biodyvin | International | Organic, Biodynamic |
Respekt Biodyn | Organic, Biodynamic | |
BioGro Organic Standard | New Zealand | Organic |
Bodegas de Argentina | Argentina | Environmentally certified production |
Certified California Sustainable Vineyard and Winery (CCSW) | California, USA | Environmentally certified production |
Certified Sustainable Wines of Chile | Chile | Environmentally certified production |
Demeter Biodynamic Certification (International) | International | Organic, Biodynamic |
Demeter Biodynamic Certification (USA) | USA | Organic, Biodynamic |
EcoStep-Wein | Germany | Environmentally certified production |
Equalitas Sustainable Wine | Italy, Spain | Environmentally certified production |
Fair'n'Green | France, Austria, Italy | Environmentally certified production |
Fair for life | International | Environmentally certified production, Certified ethical production |
Fairtrade - Standard for Hired Labour | International | Environmentally certified production, Certified ethical production |
FairChoice | International | Environmentally certified production |
Freshcare Australian Wine Industry Standard of Sustainable Practice – Viticulture | Australia | Environmentally certified production |
Integrated Production of Wine South Africa | South-Africa | Environmentally certified production |
Krav | Sweden | Environmentally certified production, Organic |
Low Input Viticulture & Enology, Inc (LIVE) | Oregon, Washington og Idaho, USA | Environmentally certified production |
Napa Green Winery Certified / Napa Green Vineyard Certified | Napa valley, USA | Environmentally certified production |
Regenerative Viticulture Alliance | International | Environmentally certified production |
Sistema Qualità Nazionale di Produzione Integrata (SQNPI) | Italy | Environmentally certified production |
Sustainability in Sicilian Viticulture (SOSTAIN) | Sicily | Environmentally certified production |
Sustainability in Practice Certified (SIP) | USA | Environmentally certified production |
Sustainable Austria | Austria | Environmentally certified production |
Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) | New Zealand | Environmentally certified production |
Sustainable Wineries for Climate Protection | Spain | Environmentally certified production |
Sustainable Wines of Great Britain | Great Britain | Environmentally certified production |
TerraVitis | France | Environmentally certified production |
The National Reference of Sustainability Certification in the Wine Sector | Portugal | Environmentally certified production |
Vignerons en Développement Durable (VDD) | France | Environmentally certified production |
Viva "Sustainability and Culture" | Italy | Environmentally certified production |
Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Programme (WASP) | Portugal | Environmentally certified production |
The process and timeline of our assessment
Which certifications should be included?
Every year in April, the Nordic monopolies collect input to see which certifications to assess or reassess. This means that slightly different certification schemes are included each year.
Information gathering
The certification schemes are then sent a survey with 27 questions divided into four categories:
- Governance and quality
- Social aspects
- Environmental growing/farming
- Environmental production
Assessment
An external third party reviews the responses and gives the certification schemes a score based on given criteria:
- Not evident
- Basic
- Intermediate
- Comprehensive
The result of the assessment is published each year in November or December and are valid from January 1st in the following year.
Suggestions for new certifications
If you have suggestions for new certifications that should be included in the assessment, please send an e-mail to [email protected]with your name and information about the certification. We suggest that you include the following information:
- Which product groups does the certification cover? (e.g. wine, spirits, Cognac)
- What is the scope of the certification? (e.g. geographical areas, approximate number of products)
- Why should we assess this certification scheme now?
Details about environmentally certified production
Products that are environmentally certified are marked with Vinmonopolet's symbol for environmentally certified production in our stores.
The criteria for environmentally certified production as of May 1st, 2024 is:
- The certification must have been included in the Nordic certification assessment.
- The certification has a minimum of “basic” evaluation in “cultivation”, “production” and “governance”. This requirement is considered a minimum to be in line with current greenwashing requirements.
- The certification must be clearly stated on the product label.
- The certification must be productrelated.
- All certifications that meet the criteria (regardless of geographic scope or prevalence) will be included.
Sist oppdatert: